


Super Smash Bros

by TheGirlNoOneKnows5



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: 75 Dates In The Skam Universe, Alternate Universe, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Inspired by Black Mirror, Low level violence, Multi, Mutual Pining, Striking Vipers - Freeform, Virtual Reality, le boys are très stupid, sort of gender bending but not really, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-03 23:44:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20461490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlNoOneKnows5/pseuds/TheGirlNoOneKnows5
Summary: “Okay. Pretend I’m a customer. Sell me this game.”Eliott's smile was determined. “You ever had a customer you wanted to throw into the wall?”“Countless.”“Knock-Out X lets you live that fantasy.” He pulled the game off Lucas’ lap and held it up. The thought of Eliott’s hands so close to him coloured Lucas’ face pink. Eliott continued, “Just imagine if you could throw that customer into a wall and leave with no scratches, bruises or consequences. And look super badass while doing it.”“Seriously, though. You’re going to love it.”-Or, a Striking Vipers Elu au in which they fall in love through a virtual reality game because love transcends allFor the 75 dates in the skam universe fic & art fest





	Super Smash Bros

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome all to my first Elu fic, enjoy the shenanigans ;)
> 
> A huge thanks to [The Skam Library](https://theskamlibrary.tumblr.com/) for organising this whole event and for extending it! 
> 
> Check out the playlist [HERE!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5gD7vmB1F9EiHKKnNor8Fx?si=YeIYhb4WRpOx2vfBfD099g) while you read!

Eliott Demaury was right out of Lucas’ wildest homosexual fantasies. As if the universe tailored him to fit Lucas’ every wish. With his infectious smile and his big blue eyes. His cute little laugh and his stupid jokes. He was a dream come true.

Lucas hated him.

Hated the way this girl batted her eyes at him while he talked up the latest gaming consol. How she fell for his cute little laugh and stupid jokes. Didn’t she realise he was only flirting with her so she’d buy a fucking PlayStation?

Lucas could hardly blame her. The guy was _good. _

“Am I boring you?” 

Lucas blinked and tore his eyes away from the gut-swirling sight. Imane raised a knowing brow at him. Like she could see Lucas’ innermost secrets carved onto his face. Even the ones he kept buried deep. Lucas forced a nonchalant shrug. “Uh, no.”

“Uh huh.”

Lucas cleared his throat and got back to fixing the music stands. “So, you were saying something about… your brother…?”

“Nice try.”

“Your mum, then?”

Imane nodded over at the store across from theirs. “You were staring. Again.”

“I need a new… Mario Kart.”

Imane narrowed her eyes at him. “Right.”

Her piercing stare left him squirming and she knew it. “Leave me alone.”

She laughed. “You’re such a baby sometimes.”

“You’re so mean to me.”

“I’m right.”

“Aren’t you always,” he said sarcastically.

She pointed a finger at him. “Don’t forget that.”

“How could I ever?”

Imane studied him for a few seconds too long. The way that made him want to crawl out of his skin and hide. “All your staring is going to get you in trouble one day. And our poor little store will suffer.”

“Please,” Lucas scoffed. “I wasn’t even staring.” _That hard, _he kept to himself.

“You’re already neglecting our guitars.” She ran a finger along the side of one of their hanging Yahamas, then rubbed her fingers together. “Dust.” 

Lucas titled his head. She did the same.

“You could always clean them.”

“Yeah, but I make you do it.” 

Eliott’s laugh caught his attention again. There he was, standing there like one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces while he chatted with Yann. Yann, genius he was, said something that made him laugh again. The sound sent flutters through Lucas’ gut, his heart. He couldn’t shake the silly smile it put on his face.

So, he didn’t hate him. Lucas didn’t think he ever could. Surely it wasn’t possible for anyone to not adore Eliott Demaury.

“You’re vacuuming the floor tonight,” Imane said. She laughed when he jumped, the traitor.

No one should interrupt a man while he gazed upon the holy grail. Or a bored twenty year old while he looked at cute boys.

*********

A large body flung himself onto Lucas and Yann’s backs, swinging his arms around them. They didn’t have to wonder who it was. The scent gave him away.

“Who's ya daddy?”

“I will give you 20 to _never_ say that again.”

Basile stuck his hand in Lucas’ face. It smelled like the tuna sandwich he probably ate for lunch. “Pay up, Lulu.”

Lucas smacked the clammy hand away. “Get lost.”

That clammy tuna hand made its new home on Basile’s chest. “You mean I’m not getting paid?” he asked, a faux wobble to his voice. He looked at Lucas with big, sad eyes.

_Idiot._ Lucas shook his head fondly at him. He might be an idiot, but he was their idiot. 

“Tell you what, if you can go a whole day without acting like a dickhead, I’ll give you that 20.”

“You’re on!”

Arthur and Yann laughed beside them. They strolled along the promenade, glad to be done with another day of moronic customers they weren’t allowed to yell at. If only.

Basile was half offended at their lack of support. “What?”

“Just – good luck,” Arthur said through his wheezing.

“What are you so happy about anyway?” Yann asked, reminding them all of his less than favourable greeting.

Basile looked confused for half a second, making Lucas question if he really should’ve been accepted into university. The very moment Lucas opened his mouth to declare Baz the loser of their bet already, Basile let out a girlish squeal. “I finally got it!” He pulled something out of his backpack to show them.

“Knock-Out X!” exclaimed Arthur. “Awesome!”

“Now I can kick your ass too,” Yann joked.

“Bring it on.”

Lucas squinted at the front cover. Two characters were in the air, mid-jump, poised to attack their opponent. “Is this that virtual reality thing you guys are always going on about?”

Basile turned his wide, shiny eyes and big cheesy smile on Lucas.

If this were a movie, this would be the moment the underground tech gang captured him, revealing everyone was a robot and they needed his help to eliminate them all. Lucas flinched away. “…what?”

Basile pushed a second copy of the game in Lucas’ face. He stumbled back and grabbed it.

“Happy birthday!”

“My birthday was a week ago,” Lucas deadpanned.

“And I never got you a present. So happy birthday!”

Lucas uselessly bit back a smile. It won and took over his face, rightly so. He figured Basile deserved to know his friends actually did appreciate him sometimes. “Thanks.”

“So, who’s your daddy?”

Sometimes.

“_You_ should give _us_ 20 euros for that,” Arthur said.

Basile raised his hands. “I can’t help how smooth I am.”

Lucas placed a hand on Basile’s forehead. “I think he’s spiking. The patient is spouting delusions.”

Basile smacked the hand away. “You’re just pressed you can’t handle all of this.” He gestured to his… ab.

“Everyone up to play tonight?” Arthur suggested, flicking the bottom of Basile’s game. Basile pulled it to his chest protectively.

Lucas looked at his own copy. “Don’t I need one of those disk-thingies to play this?” 

“An experiencer disk,” Yann said.

“An experiencer disk,” Arthur mocked. Yann flipped him off. “Lisa has one.”

Lucas frowned at him. “How do you know that?”

“Sometimes we play Mario Party 11.”

“Since when are you two friends?” Basile asked.

Arthur slung an arm around his shoulder. “Jealous, huh?”

“Yeah right.” 

They halted when they reached the front entrance. “Well. It’s time to say goodnight,” Arthur said like he was a sergeant sending off his troops to certain doom.

Lucas and Yann shared an amused look while Arthur stood in solemn silence with Basile.

He straightened up after a few weird seconds had gone by and gave them all his usual goofy grin. “See ya, boys!”

The others exchanged their goodnights and went their separate ways. Yann offered Lucas a ride as always and Lucas declined as always. Lucas didn’t have the heart to tell him he was a terrible driver. Although, he supposed having a licence beat not having one.

Especially when he had to wait forever for the bus when he _really _wanted to get home. Lucas scrolled through reddit, engrossed in a thread about a guy with two dicks while he waited. He’d just gotten to the pictures when he felt a presence beside him.

He gasped at Eliott’s sudden appearance and shoved his phone into his pocket, hoping he hadn’t seen anything that would be hard to explain. Lucas was bashful of his own surprise. It wasn’t as if they didn’t see each other here almost every day.

“Fuck, you scared me.”

“Didn’t mean to,” Eliott said with his cute little laugh.

Lucas smiled because he couldn’t not. “Heading home?”

“Wow, getting a bit personal.” 

“Uh…”

Eliott gave Lucas one of those smiles that made his heart do this weird thing in his chest. Like it was going ‘!!!’ “I’m messing with you.”

Lucas laughed despite himself. “You have a weird sense of humour.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“I’m not very nice.”

“That’s not true.” 

“And you’re not funny.”

“Yet you always laugh.”

Damn him, he did.

They shared a smile, Lucas gladly conceding defeat. He’d always yield if it meant his consolation prize was that smile directed at him. Moments like this reminded him of how very gay he was. He found himself staring dreamily at Eliott’s hands while he fiddled with a cigarette. He had lovely hands. Lucas wondered what many great things he could do with them. 

_I’m so gay, _he thought.

Eliott tapped at the game in Lucas’ lap. “Good choice,” he enthused. “This is our best seller at the shop.”

“You play?”

He shrugged. “Once or twice.” 

“Is it worth all the hype?”

“It’s pretty unique.”

Lucas groaned. “Oh no.”

“What?”

“_Unique _is usually code for pretentious shit.”

Eliott laughed. “How could a game be pretentious?”

“Anything can be pretentious if you look too far.”

They were silent while Eliott took a long drag of his cigarette. He did his neat smoke ring trick for Lucas, well aware he was watching him. The simple intimacy of it sent an electric current through Lucas’ veins.

“That was profound,” Eliott decided.

“Was it?”

“No, I was being polite.”

A joke that was actually funny. Could it be a miracle? “I didn’t know you had it in you,” he laughed. Eliott raised his brows in question. “A sense of humour.”

Eliott laughed again, harder than last time. Lucas was more than a little proud of himself. “Maybe you should try that polite thing.”

“I told you I’m not nice.”

“And I told you I don’t believe you.”

“So, teach me.”

“Huh?”

Lucas angled himself towards Eliott. “Okay. Pretend I’m a customer. Sell me this game.”

They looked at each other. Eliott smiled. Lucas tried not to swoon. “This game is unlike any other on the market.”

“Oh? How so?” Lucas exaggerated his interest.

“Through the advanced new virtual reality technology, Knock-Out gives you the most realistic fighting experience, as if you’re really there.”

“You can do better than that.”

Eliott’s smile turned determined. There was a glint in his eyes. “You ever had a customer you wanted to throw into the wall?”

“Countless.”

“Knock-Out X lets you live that fantasy.” He pulled the game off Lucas’ lap and held it up. The thought of Eliott’s hands so close to him coloured Lucas’ face pink. Eliott continued, “Just imagine if you could throw that customer into a wall and leave with no scratches, bruises or consequences. And look super badass while doing it.”

Lucas sustained his poker face for as long as he could manage. Eliott’s matching stare became too much. Piercing like Imane’s. Intense like no one else. Lucas cleared his throat and took the game back, blush deepening. “Uh, well. That wasn’t very polite.”

“Did I sell you the game?”

“…maybe.”

“I did! You so wanna play it now.”

“Maybe!”

They narrowed their eyes at each other for a full second before laughing. Eliott leaned in to bump his shoulder with his. _Oh_.

“Seriously, though. You’re going to love it.”

*********

“You owe me,” Lisa grumbled.

“You’re the best, Lisa,” Lucas called as she disappeared down the hall.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Lucas inspected the experiencer disk. The small silver disk resembled a button cell battery. “What do I do with it?”

“Squeeze the sides,” Yann’s voice said through the phone.

Lucas pressed in with his fingers. The receptor sitting atop the PlayStation glowed blue.

“Did a light come on?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, now put the experiencer on your temple and press the centre.”

This was really weird. “Which side?”

“Doesn’t matter. But we should probably hang up before we run our phones flat.” Sensing Lucas’ uncertainty, Yann added, “Don’t worry. I’ll see you real soon.”

Lucas gulped. “Okay.”

They ended the call. Lucas waited a few seconds. Then a few more. The character he’d chosen waited in a fighting stance on the television screen. ‘Trix’ specialised in kick boxing. She bounced from foot to foot while Lucas hesitated, itching for a fight.

Lucas wondered if the game would show on the screen while they were in virtual reality. What the hell was this little disk thing going to do to him? Why was this even a thing people did? Was _this_ the part where the underground tech gang took Lucas under their wing?

“You’re not going to die,” Lisa said as she shuffled past him to the kitchen. “It’s fun.”

Lucas was unaware Lisa knew how to have fun. He considered telling her so, but thought better of it. Not when he was using her VR kit to send his mind into overdrive. The others were probably in the game already. If they could do it, he should be able to. And he would. In a second. Or five.

“If you’re gonna wimp out, can I have my disk back?” Lisa called from the kitchen.

That was all the push he needed. With a deep breath, Lucas placed the disk on his left temple, pressed the centre and–

Nothing.

Nothing happened. Lucas slumped back into the couch, confused. “What’s happenin- ah!”

In an instant, the world around him dissolved. He was falling through a tunnel of lights. There was nothing to grab onto and no end in sight. “Ahh!”

_Where the fuck am I?! _This was it. This was the end. Lucas had never imagined his death would come at the hands of an evil video game. If he got sent to hell after this, he was going to be _pissed._

The falling stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Lucas landed on a tiled ground. “Oof!”

His elbows ached from the force of the fall. Lucas pushed himself up to see three strangers smirking at him. “You guys look like you’re going to a Naruto convention.”

That was not his voice.

Lucas looked down at his body to see… not his body. There were tits and dark skin and a green body suit thing. “…what.”

“der.deutsche has entered,” a computerised voice said.

“Dude!” a guy who looked like he just stepped out of the Dragon Ball Z universe said.

“Uh…”

“You finally made it,” the tallest chick he’d ever seen said. Lucas remembered clicking past her in the menu. He thought her name was Ash.

“Took you long enough,” another guy teased. His ginormous chest barely fit into his torn shirt. He kind of looked like Donkey Kong in human form. 

“…guys?”

“Yeah!” the three collectively cheered.

Ash patted him on the back. “Nice, you picked Trix.”

“Whoa, hey,” Lucas backed away from them, hands out in front of him… her? Was he a her? Well, no, not really. But right now? Maybe. “Are we actually _in _the game right now?”

“Not literally, but the VR puts your conscious into your character’s body,” Ash said. “Awesome, huh?” 

That was one word for it. “How is this even possible?”

“You’re the scientist,” Dragon Ball Z wannabe said.

“Teacher. I’m studying to be a science teacher.”

Dragon Ball Z wannabe pulled a face and waved his arms about. That was Basile.

Lucas – or, Trix, he supposed, squinted at the other two characters. He pointed to tall chick Ash. “Yann.”

“Yup.”

Then, to the giant chest man, “Arthur.”

“What was taking you so long?”

He was busy being a chicken, not that they needed to know. 

“You were scared, weren’t you?” chest man Arthur laughed. “Need me to hold your hand, Lulu?”

Weird hearing his friends’ words coming out of completely different faces. It made the decision to kick Arthur’s ass much easier. He remembered what Eliott has said about throwing customers into walls without bruises. There just so happened to be a large gazebo beside them.

Without a moment of thought, Lucas roundhouse kicked Arthur across several metres, right into the gazebo. He smashed into the back, breaking right through the wood. Either that was some flimsy wood, or his character had bones of titanium.

“Hold that.”

“That was awesome!” Dragon Basile Z laughed.

Arthur climbed up, shook the wood off his back and gave Lucas a smirk. “Let the game begin.”

He charged for Lucas, tackling him to the ground. Lucas wriggled around to get into position to knee him in the groin.

“Ah! Uncool!” 

Basile’s cheering was interrupted by a loud thump and an “Oof!” Yann took his distraction as an opportunity to get the upper hand. They all liked to fight dirty. 

Each wound only hurt for about four seconds before fading as if it was never there. They never got tired or overheated. And they could do things people only dreamed of in real life. This Trix chick was flexible. As long as he could get a leg free, Lucas could move it anywhere and use it to obliterate his opponent. He doubted his real kicks would have so much force.

All of Lucas’ reservations vanished with every move. This was some futuristic level technology. It was incredible. The most unbelievable experience he’d ever had. Well, that and traveling around the rest of Europe, he supposed. Although, it wasn’t as if visiting the Netherlands could literally let him be another person. Or kick some serious butt.

Several rounds of ass-whooping later, Yann said, “Probably time to logoff.”

“Aw man,” Basile complained.

“We have been at it for a while,” Lucas said, though he couldn’t deny his own pinch of disappointment.

Arthur ruffled Dragon Basile Z’s hair with his massive hand. “Glad you had fun getting your butt kicked.”

“I kicked your butt right back!”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Settle down, kids,” Yann said. Coming out of Ash’s mouth, he sounded like their mother. “I’m going to bed.”

It hadn’t occurred to Lucas until that very moment to wonder how they got out of here. He figured it would be a little different to pressing the start button on a controller.

The question was quickly answered when Yann said, “Exit game.” Ash disappeared in the blink of an eye. This game got cooler by the second.

“Not even a goodnight,” Arthur scoffed. “Anyway, goodnight, fellas!”

He exited, then Basile, then Lucas. The journey coming back was nothing like going in. Lucas didn’t fall through any tech portals. He simply woke into his dark living room as if was nothing more than a dream. Perhaps it was.

His phone buzzed beside him.

> **Yann: **it was sick wasnt it
> 
> **Lucas: **insane!
> 
> **Yann: **btw you weren’t dreaming

Yann knew him too well.

Lucas hadn’t been dreaming then and he wasn’t too sure he’d be dreaming soon either. He knew this feeling. That wired, brain-reeling sensation. It had been creeping up on him all evening. _No. Not tonight. _

This feeling always sent him through the seven stages of grief. He didn’t know why he bothered with it when all the denial and angry bargaining always ended in bitter acceptance of a sleepless night. This hadn’t happened in a couple months, and it usually never occurred during summer break. Lucas was foolish enough to assume he’d be safe from it. All part of that sweet, sweet denial.

So, he got undressed and put himself to bed. Turned out the lights and shut his eyes. Tossed and turned. Told his mind to shut the fuck up. Got angry at the four songs stuck in his head. Pleaded with any deity listening to let him sleep, even for an hour. Until the bitter acceptance of failure set in.

Lucas stared up at the dark ceiling, imagining the stars were above him. From time to time, he found himself missing his childhood bedroom. Whenever he couldn’t sleep, he’d stare up at the glow-in-the-dark space stickers. His mother positioned the stars into actual constellations for him. He would stare up at them and recite the constellations over and over until he fell asleep. Too bad he was probably too old for that now.

Hours in and he couldn’t take it anymore. He got up with a huff, leaving that cursed, restless bedroom behind. Sat on the couch. Watched the sleeping city through the window. Eyed the PlayStation.

Maybe he could… just for a while. 

Lucas logged back in as Trix. He wanted to see what else she could do. Scrolling through the list of online players was almost as boring as staring at a dark ceiling. He ended up choosing random opponents to fight, playing against a fifteen year old Australian kid who called him a little bitch boy, a chick who defeated him in every single round, a Norwegian guy called reggis.meggis who was still getting the hang of it like him and an Italian guy who screamed every time he lost.

It wasn’t as fun without his friends. Still completely unreal, but not as fun.

Lucas was ready to call it a night when the message; **srodulv has invited you to a fight** popped up. If he hadn’t been from Paris, Lucas probably would’ve rejected the request. Still, if he couldn’t fight his friends, maybe fighting a fellow Parisian could come close.

Trix fell into a dark street, lit only by the neon signs on every wall. Lucas frowned, not spotting his opponent.

“Hey,” a feminine voice said.

Srodulv was standing behind him as the character Zed. Lucas remembered her because he thought she looked a little like Pom Klementieff with shorter hair. The guys swore they couldn’t see it, but standing in front of her, there was a definite resemblance.

“Hi.”

“Can’t sleep either?”

“Nope.”

Srodulv gave him a smile. It was strange seeing someone else’s mannerisms being performed by these avatars. Strange when it was his friends because he still recognized them despite the glaring physical differences. But with a stranger, he had nothing to go on. Not even a face to place these movements to. How much of it was Zed and how much was srodulv?

“You wanna stand around here thinking, or do you wanna kick my ass?”

“Why, are you shit?”

Srodulv laughed. It sounded cute from Zed’s voice. Lucas wondered if srodulv’s real laugh sounded anything like it. “It’s been a little while since I played, but I’d say I’m pretty good.”

“That could be a problem.”

“Why, are _you _shit?”

Lucas laughed with Trix’s voice. It was a nice sound, but it wasn’t him. “I’m a fast learner.”

“Still a beginner.”

“Is that a problem?”

“You said it might be, but I don’t discriminate.” Srodulv shrugged. “It’ll be easier for me to kick your butt.”

“Thought you wanted me to kick yours?” 

“I’m versatile.”

“Good to know.”

They laughed. Lucas stopped himself.

There was no way he was flirting with a video game character. Sure, technically there was a real person behind it, but right now they were in a game and – Lucas’ head hurt.

“Did I scare you away already?”

Lucas gave srodulv Trix’s best smirk. “No way.” 

They got into fighter positions, bouncing from foot to foot as they circled each other. “Don’t worry,” srodulv said. “I’ll go easy on you.”

“And I won’t.”

Srodulv leaned in with a quick, intimidating, “Ha!”

It surprised Lucas enough for srodulv to get in the first hit. They delivered a punch that knocked Trix half over. Lucas used the momentum to duck down so he could use a sweeping kick on srodulv’s feet. The move worked and Lucas knocked srodulv onto their ass.

Srodulv smiled, Zed’s eyes gleaming with mischief. “You’re surprising,” they said. “I like surprising people.”

“I like to surprise people – wha!”

Srodulv got back to their feet with a kip-up, making sure to kick Lucas in the face as they went. The kick sent Lucas flying. He smacked at srodulv mid-air, getting in a few hits. Srodulv blocked most. They were _good. _

Lucas laughed when he landed on his feet again. “Good one.”

“Try to keep up, newbie.”

Their fight became a sort of dance as they learned each other’s go-to moves and surprise attacked with others. Srodulv ended up teaching Lucas a few things he could do with Trix. They discovered the Trix’s turbo kick together. If he got up enough momentum in a run, the turbo kick would give an instant K.O.

Srodulv wouldn’t let him get it, though. They were an expert evader. They fought until Lucas could feel his real body grow weary. Neither was willing to give up. It was too much fun. 

An hour in, they stood across from each other, staring the other down. This was it. They were going to charge and whoever could keep their opponent down was the winner.

“Ahhhh!”

“Ahhhh!”

They charged forward and tackled each other to the rough ground. Lucas managed to get on top, pinning srodulv. He thought he’d won, when srodulv wrapped their legs around Lucas’ waist and flipped them over. Lucas wasn’t going to give up so easy. He pushed back, keeping them rolling until they hit a literal brick wall.

Srodulv sat on top of Lucas, bodies close. They stared at each other as they puffed and panted. Something Lucas had never felt before gathered in his gut. Srodulv leaned down and kissed Lucas with same force they used to fight. It was hot and heavy and the best kiss Lucas had probably ever had. Full of a raw passion Lucas couldn’t believe.

A small sigh escaped from his lips. Only, they weren’t _his_ lips, they were Trix’s. Her voice pulled him back into what the actual fuck they were doing. Lucas was making out with this total stranger with their game avatars. And they were both chicks. Since when did Lucas actually _like_ kissing girls? 

“Whoa, hey. No, no.”

Lucas pushed srodulv off and scooted away from them. They looked at each other with confusion and shock, all the raw desire lingering in the air.

“I – I’m sorry, I–”

Lucas shook his head hard. Both to assure srodulv and to clear his own head. “No, I… I wanted it,” he admitted, because he did. _Fuck, _he wanted it. “It’s just…”

“Weird,” srodulv finished.

They sat in heavy silence. Never once did it occur to Lucas that this was a possibility within the game. Not just the kissing itself. The feelings that came with it. It was like they were his own lips. His own body reacting to it. Except he was in a completely different body. He felt himself get… _wet_… _down there_.

And it was nice.

“Uh, I’ve gotta go,” he said awkwardly.

“Yeah, uh, me too.”

“This was… it was.”

“Yeah. It was.”

The tension was suffocating. Lucas couldn’t exit game fast enough.

He studied the experiencer disk in his hand, breathing hard. As amazing as this thing was, it had to be bad news. Things like that weren’t… surely it wasn’t allowed. _Were _there any rules in this game? Lucas snatched the game case and read it cover to cover multiple times. A whole lot of ‘innovative genius’, but nothing about hooking up with other players. Nothing about your avatar’s body reacting like… like it was real.

Lucas shook his head firmly.

It wasn’t real. It was just a game.

*********

“I still can’t believe you_ sat_ on me!”

Arthur shrugged. “You kept flailing your arms around like one of those inflatable noddle guys you always see at car dealerships.” He took a loud slurp of his smoothie. “You looked like a dork. My guy is huge. What else was I supposed to do?”

“In a different context, that would sound so wrong,” Yann said.

“Or right.”

Basile shuddered. “I can still feel those big, warm cheeks digging into my spine.” 

“That too,” added Yann.

Arthur reached over the table to pat Basile’s hand. “There, there.” He stole a few chips out of his burger box. “It was only a simulation.”

Lucas felt like stuffing his ears full of the coffee grinds at Arthur’s coffee shop. Maybe if he asked real nice, he could get Daphné to help.

Anything would be better than listening to more of this. 

When were they _ever _going to stop prattling on about that ridiculous game? The last several days, it was all they ever seemed to talk about. Yeah, it was cool and sure, it was unbelievable, but there were a million more important things in the world to focus on than a fucking VR game that gives their hot avatars functioning genitals for some fucking reason.

Lucas had been a _little_ preoccupied. Every time he closed his eyes, he was back there, kissing srodulv in Trix and Zed’s bodies. It was all too weird. And he wanted no part of it ever again.

“When’s the next sesh?” Basile asked eagerly even though he was moping and complaining about it not two seconds ago.

“We could try to make it every Wednesday night at the same time,” Arthur suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Yann agreed. He finished off his coffee and let out a roaring burp.

Basile raised his hand for a high-five, which Yann stared at, unmoving. “Aw, come on!” Lucas decided to cut the guy some slack and slapped his hand. “Ha! Yes!”

His happiness over the smallest things was kind of cute sometimes. Not cute as in – Lucas could_ never_ think of him as – Sometimes Lucas wished he wasn’t in charge of his own brain. If someone responsible sat at the helm, Lucas would never be plagued with a buzzing mind, or weird thoughts or a repeated memory that would _never _happen again.

“Lucas?” By the tone of his voice, Yann had been trying to get his attention for a while.

“Yeah?” he answered sheepishly. If someone responsible was in charge of his brain, he’d never blank out or get distracted.

“Next Wednesday. You in?”

Lucas averted his gaze, opting to pick at his muffin. “Uh. No, I don’t think so.”

“Other plans?”

“Not really, I just… I don’t know if that game is really my thing.”

The boys looked at him like he’d just committed a heinous offense. “Since when?” Basile asked. “It was your thing two days ago.”

“Yeah, well. I changed my mind.”

“You changed your mind,” Basile scoffed.

Arthur placed a placating hand on his arm. “Hey, it’s not a big deal.” 

“Not a big deal?! This game is my life!”

“You’ve played it once,” Yann said.

That deflated him. “Oh, yeah.” He let out an awkward laugh as he sank in his chair.

Yann leaned in closer to Lucas. “It’s cool if you don’t want to play, but the invitation’s always open.”

He wouldn’t be needing it, but it was nice to know. “Thanks.”

“Hey, guys,” Eliott said.

The boys all voiced their greetings, Lucas careful not to sound too eager.

“Did you manage to make that sale?” Yann asked him.

“Take a guess.”

“I’m guessing yes because you always do.”

Eliott clicked and pointed at him. “That’s right.” 

If Eliott intended the action as cool, he was in for a very rude awakening. That was perhaps the most endearing thing about him. The way he gave off such cool vibes, when in reality, he was a gigantic dork. He could walk around looking cool as James Dean, but the second he opened his mouth, he revealed his silly, dorky and a little strange ways. The clearer that got, the more charmed Lucas was.

“Anyway, Alexia’s gone on break, so you’ve gotta come back.”

That meant he would have to leave. A true tragedy.

Yann pushed himself up. “See you on the other side,” were his parting words. Retail could be… tough was putting it light.

Lucas was still on break for another fifteen, so he hoped the conversation could _finally_ move on from that fucking ga–

“Oh, oh, next sesh, I wanna play as that quesadilla chick,” Basile said.

_Fuck me_

“You mean Qetsiyah?” Arthur said.

“Whatever, she uses her ponytail as a whip! How cool is that? And she’s hot.”

Hot video game characters were the last thing Lucas needed to be reminded of.

*********

Staying away was easy. He didn’t miss playing. He didn’t miss being Trix.

It did get a little isolating at times when the guys would recount their stories and share their new inside jokes and discuss moves and levels. They were all part of something Lucas was not.

And that was perfectly fine. He’d made his choice. He didn’t regret it. It wasn’t their fault he was left out. It’s not like he was constantly tempted. The game case still sat atop the PlayStation. Lisa’s VR equipment never got put away. Even though he turned them down every time, his friends always asked if he wanted to join. No temptations at all. 

He avoided and ignored, which was all good and fine and nice and good.

He avoided it all until the first night that wired, brain-reeling feeling returned. It was the same as the last; the five stages of grief. Beginning with denial that no, tonight he _would_ get sleep, and ending with, fucking fine, he _wouldn’t_ sleep.

Like the last time, he tried staring at the dark, starless ceiling. Recalled the stars from his childhood. Tried watching the city in its quieter hours through the window. All the same.

There was only one thing he hadn’t tried yet. But he couldn’t. He’d done so well staying away. He resolved himself to it. Logging in couldn’t hurt.

That’s what he told himself when he logged on to Knock-Out X for the first time in over a month at three in the morning. He was only looking. What were the chances he’d run into–

**‘srodulv has invited you to a fight’**

Lucas stared at the message. Hovered over the reject option. Closed his eyes. Pressed accept.

This time, they were on a cliffside by the ocean. Srodulv was Zed again, like last time. Lucas was Trix again, like last time.

“Long time no see,” srodulv greeted. They didn’t bring up the last time.

Still, they stood across from each other, like last time. Teased each other, like last time. Fought hard and well, like last time.

And when they were done fighting, when they stood across from each other, sweaty and spent. They came together in a kiss, like last time.

Unlike last time, Lucas didn’t pull away. Instead, he pulled srodulv closer, kissed longer, held tighter. That same need was there, now stronger. That first kiss was only the beginning to something much greater. Lucas didn’t know what it was. He didn’t need to know anymore. He just wanted.

They tore at each other’s clothes until they could get their hands where they wanted them. Palms over breasts that didn’t belong to them. Fingers in places that were unfamiliar to them. Being with srodulv felt so right, everything came naturally. Somehow with Trix’s body, Lucas seemed to know what to do.

They kissed and touched and cried out their pleasures against each other. It was that night Lucas discovered he’d been missing out this whole time. There really was nothing like a feminine orgasm. The slow build up. Every part of his body tingling. The lingering effects.

After, they dressed in what hadn’t been destroyed and sat side by side, overlooking the water. 

Lucas didn’t know where to start. “I’ve never done it with a…”

“A vagina?”

“Yeah.” Lucas laughed, bashful that he couldn’t say it even after what they’d just done. Was he twenty or fourteen? It was just a word. The name of a body part. A very important one, he’d only just come to realise. He figured he should tell srodulv why this was so odd for him. “I’m really a guy.”

“Guys can have vaginas.”

_Shit. _Lucas’ face heated while he cursed himself. “Oh I know – I didn’t mean to – it’s totally cool if you’re – I mean. Uh…”

Srodulv laughed calmly. The sound soothed him. “Relax.”

“Sorry. Heh. I… I’m sorry I offended you.”

“You didn’t offend me. I don’t have a vagina either.”

“So you’re…?”

“I’m a cis-guy.”

“Oh. Yeah. Me too.” Lucas was still learning all the different terms within the queer community. Mika made sure to pass on all his resources and would give him a queer 101 crash course any time he wasn’t sure what was appropriate or not to say. Or think. He’d come a long way from the doofus sixteen year old who was worried about looking ‘too gay’. Yet, from time to time, he would say something so stupid, he wished a black hole would open up beneath his feet and swallow him out of existence. But this. This was uncharted territory. Something he never thought he’d have to deal with. He figured he and srodulv would do it together. “But, um. Our characters. These are chicks, right?”

He gestured down at Trix’s body, barely covered by the mangled clothes that barely survived their tryst. Srodulv wasn’t doing much better with Zed’s matching torn threads.

“I think so?” He looked out at the waves to think. “Guess it doesn’t really matter what they are. Even though we’re in their bodies right now, we’re still us.”

That made much more sense than all the jumbled nonsense in Lucas’ head. 

“It’s sort of weird because. I’m gay. Like, I’m into dudes but right now we’re both chicks, but what we just did was really…” Mind blowing, earth shattering, so incredibly _right_. “…you know?”

“Maybe in here, you’re a lesbian.”

It was a very valid point. “Maybe.” 

“I don’t know, to me sexuality is super complicated and fluid and.” He paused to gather his thoughts. “We like to try to make sense of stuff. As people, it’s what we do with life and with language. So we can understand ourselves.” He went on after another pause, “When it comes to things like… like _this_, things where we don’t really have the words to describe it, just the feelings. Those are things I think we can just let ourselves feel. Like, you’re a gay man in the real world and in here you had sex with a woman. Sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be if we just… let it happen.” 

Lucas snapped his head over to him. “You… mean you want to do this again?”

“If you do.”

He did. _Fuck_, he wanted to do it over and over until the game malfunctioned or the world ended. Which ever came first. It was the most intense experience of his life and he wanted more.

Lucas cupped srodulv’s chin and pulled his face close. They looked at each other for a while before they leaned in and met in a kiss. This one was peaceful, unlike the desperate kisses they shared earlier. They kissed gently. They kissed slowly. They kissed like they had all the time in the world.

*********

They did it again the next night. And the next, and the next. Late at night while the city slept. Der.deutsche and srodulv met and made love where no one would find them.

After the first couple times, they would skip their pre-sex fight all together and jump right into each other. Sometimes they’d have a short fight after, most times, they held each other and talked. About everything that crossed their minds. Everything except anything that could give away their true identities.

Srodulv was his lover whose name he didn’t know. Whose face was not his own.

As the weeks went on, their visits became less recurrent. They would still meet with a desperate frequency, but they decided every single night was a bit unreasonable. Lucas always slept like a baby after logging off, though he could only get in three or four hours before it was time to head to work. 

People noticed something had changed with him because apparently Lucas was an open book.

“You look happy today,” Yann said once and it caught Lucas so off guard because he _was_. He was so fucking happy and he was so fucking tired and it was all worth it. He would never sleep again if it meant he could be with srodulv. If only just to talk. 

His other friends noticed it, too.

Emma caught him humming while she made him a smoothie on his break. “Since when do you hum love songs?”

Lucas wasn’t aware it was one.

Arthur caught him ‘dreamily staring off into the distance’, as he so dramatically put it more than once.

“Are you seeing someone?” Manon asked, point blank. Lucas would just smile because srodulv made him want to smile. 

“Why are you so cheery lately?” Imane asked, a smile in her voice. She was pleasant. 

“Why are you so spaced out?” asked their manager, Clara. She was not. 

The questions and probing became less pleasant and well-intended as the lack of sleep took its toll. They went from asking about his brighter mood to pointing out his ragged appearance.

“You’re looking really pale these days,” Daphné said, and he _noticed_, thank you, Daphy. In the same day, Basile told him he looked like a zombie. Lisa said a vampire. Either way, he looked dead.

“Have you been sleeping?” Mika asked with concern, and Clara with judgment.

Why was it anyone’s business? Why did they care if he was humming love songs and smiling more? What was it to them whether he was sleeping? Who really cared if he was beginning to look like the undead?

So, he withdrew. Stopped answering texts, passed on hanging out. Threw his world into Trix and Zed. Wished srodulv would stop thinking about the outside world so much.

They held each other one night, like many others. Srodulv played with Lucas’ hair. Caressing fingers warm and gentle. It was so, so nice. He was so, so nice.

“A hedgehog,” he said after a while.

“Hm?”

“I figured out your spirit animal. It’s a hedgehog.”

Lucas laughed and snuggled in closer. “Why am I a hedgehog?”

“You’re sweet but you’re also really prickly.” He gave his ass a single pat. “And you’re cute.” 

“Okay,” he chuckled. “What’s yours?”

“I’m a raccoon.”

“A rat?”

“A racoon.” 

“Why?”

Srodulv leaned down and pressed a kiss into Lucas’s hair. “He wears a mask.”

Lucas turned in his lap to look up at him. “Is that supposed to be metaphorical?” he asked with a smile.

Srodulv shrugged. “Kind of. But also, raccoons are cool.” He looked down, then slowly raised his eyes at him, the way he always did when he wanted to say something important. Lucas already knew where this conversation was headed. He silently urged him not to go on. “I draw them. My friend’s spirit animals, and,” he shrugged nervously, “you could come see them, if you want.”

Lucas closed his eyes with a sigh. He felt srodulv tense beneath him. “I told you–”

“You don’t want to meet me, you tell me every time I bring it up,” srodulv snapped. 

Lucas sat up. “That’s not it,” he assured him.

“Can we at least exchange names? Our real names, not our user names, not our character names. You and me.”

That sent a shot of panic through Lucas. All he could manage to do was let out a strangled laugh.

“Why do you want to stay stuck in here forever?” srodulv asked. He cupped Lucas’ face in his hands. Zed’s eyes bore into Trix’s. Grey bled into brown.

It wasn’t them. But it was all they had. This worked. There was no way of knowing if they could work on the outside. Lucas didn’t think he could bear to lose this. Not after he’d known this feeling. 

Lucas often wondered what srodulv’s real laugh sounded like. If it was anything like Zed’s. He knew Zed. All her expressions, her voice, the sounds she made, the way she moved, the way she smelled. He didn’t know any of srodulv’s. Srodulv didn’t know any of Lucas’. 

Would it be similar? Completely different? Would srodulv hate that Lucas didn’t look or sound or smell like Trix? Did he have feelings for Lucas or for Trix?

Lucas couldn’t bear the answer to that question. Everything else was secondary to that one, final question. Where did their real feelings lie? And if they were only here, that meant one day it would have to end. Srodulv would meet a nice person in the real world, fall in love and forget all about der.deutsche.

He couldn’t handle it.

“I just… we can’t–” 

“This isn’t enough for me anymore,” srodulv said. With that one sentence, Lucas’ deepest fear came true.

“This is all I have to give,” Lucas said. Srodulv jumped up. “Whoa, where are you going?”

“I don’t want to be your dirty little secret in the night.”

“What?”

“I thought this meant something.”

“It does!” He meant it with all his heart.

“Then, why won’t you tell me your name? Why won’t you let me tell you mine?”

“Please.”

Srodulv shook Lucas off when he tried to reach for him. “Exit game.” he called, voice cold.

That coldness seeped into the air around Lucas, encasing him in a cruel chill. He knew he should leave. It was six in the morning. There was nothing keeping him here. He just wanted to hold on a little longer.

*********

Lucas hadn’t slept a wink. How could he after that cold tone in srodulv’s voice.

It seemed so final. Like they were never going to see each other again. He didn’t know how he was ever going to get to sleep again. 

“Lucas, watch where you’re–”

A crashing thump finished Imane’s sentence. Lucas jumped at the sound and looked for the cause. He’d knocked two guitars off their rack. Lucas frowned at the battered guitars by his feet. He wasn’t even sure how he managed to knock them down. It had to be possible because he’d done it, but from where he was standing, it didn’t make sense.

He looked up at the rack they’d fallen off, trying to draw the imaginary trajectory line. _If that one’s lying there, how did that other one get over there, unless the second guitar knocked the first one over when it fell and I’m looking at them in the wrong order and– _

“What the hell happened?” Clara yelled, rudely interrupting Lucas’ calculations. He almost had it and now it was gone forever all thanks to– “Well?” she demanded. 

“Would you just let me think!” Lucas yelled back, his voice startling Clara, Imane and their summer intern, who was hiding by the music books.

“Excuse me?”

Lucas rubbed his eyes, his temples, his head. “I’m sorry, I just – I can’t _think _and I _need_ to think a–”

Imane stepped closer to him. “Lucas, are you alright?”

He was in serious need of a good cry. “I don’t think so.”

Clara turned the guitars over. “They’re not ruined, there’s just a little paint damage.”

“I’ll fix it, I swear. I’ll pay for the damages,” Lucas said.

Clara stood, holding eye contact. “Lucas, go home.”

“Am I fired?”

“No, but we need you go home now. We can finish closing without you, go on.” Strange that this was the nicest she’d ever been.

Lucas felt like a gigantic twat. Where was one of those black holes when he needed one? Since when did he throw temper tantrums? All because he was exhausted. What a child he was.

Clara ended up pushing him out under the shutters. Imane had to run out after him with his things. “Do you need any help?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

Lucas smiled at her. “You so care about me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest proudly. “So what if I do?”

“Tell Clara I’m sorry for me?” he asked.

“Only if you go home and straight to bed.”

“You know, you’re not the first woman who’s tried to get me into bed.”

She rolled her eyes and turned away, not fast enough to hide her smile. Imane thought Lucas was funny and now they both knew it. “Go home,” she called as she ducked back under the store shutters.

Lucas looked across at the Video Game store. It was closed already. He eyed it curiously while he walked towards the exit. Stranger still, Eliott was already at the bus stop when Lucas arrived. He hadn’t seen much of him lately.

Lucas stood back to watch him unnoticed for a while. No surprise, he was still as dreamy as ever. Same beautiful blue eyes. Gone was his infectious smile. Something was different about him today. He’s shoulders were slightly slumped. Dark circles coloured his eyes. He looked pensive. Almost sad. Perhaps he was.

He was sketching something on a notepad. Lucas couldn’t see what it was from where he stood. Curiosity drove him forward.

He sat beside Eliott, slowly as he usually did. Lucas held his breath, unsure if Eliott noticed him yet. If he had, he was certainly ignoring him. Why would he–

Eliott himself interrupted that thought with a gasp. “Fuck, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” Lucas chuckled. He wasn’t sure he had enough energy to do anything more. “I didn’t mean to.” 

“How are you?”

“Tired. You?”

“Tired.”

They shared a weary smile in solidarity. Lucas nodded at Eliott’s notepad. “Working on anything special?”

“Not really. Just some doodles I do to calm me down.” He turned his notepad towards Lucas. On it was several doodles of a raccoon. The images made his heart warm and pinch simultaneously. He wasn’t quite sure why. “The raccoon is my spirit animal.”

Lucas froze. Every hair on the back of his neck stood. It couldn’t be. “Why’s that?” he asked, forcing himself to sound at least somewhat nonchalant. He had to be sure.

“Raccoons are cool,” Eliott smiled. It wasn’t as bright as usual, but just as lovely. “And they wear a mask,” he added, right when Lucas thought he was in the clear.

This was it. Eliott was srodulv. _His_ srodulv. He had to be. Who the fuck else obsessed over raccoons because they looked like tiny burglars? Everything made more and more sense as he pieced it all together. Zed’s little shrug, that little laugh, the slow way she sat down, the stupid jokes she’d tell and then laugh at herself. There it was. The reason it was so easy for Lucas for fall for Zed, for srodulv. They reminded him of someone he already knew, someone he wanted to know more. They were Eliott Demaury, the very real man from his wildest homosexual fantasies.

Lucas knew his laugh. He knew the sound of his voice, the way he moved, the way he smelled. The expressions he made. They were all just like Zed, only better. This was the real him.

Now what the fuck was he supposed to do about it? Srodulv pretty much broke up with him. What if Lucas told him the truth and Eliott hated him forever? What if he didn’t tell him at all and Eliott hated him forever? And what exactly was he supposed to say? ‘Oh, by the way, I’m your PlayStation hoe.’ 

It was unsurprising that Lucas was never good with words. Eliott was, the little arty poet man. Which was exactly why he couldn’t just blurt something out without any thought. Not with the way they left things.

He was going to have to make it up to him.

*********

The flat was dark when Lucas got in.

_Strange_, he thought. Mika liked to keep every curtain and blind wide open during the day. He said while there was sunshine outside, they were obliged to let her in. Lucas was glad this summer had been nothing like the boiling fire trap a few years ago. Today wasn’t particularly hot for normal standards.

All of which was why walking into a dark flat in the daylight was odd. “Hello?” he called and fucking hell, there’d better not be a murderer hiding in here.

“In the living room,” Manon called.

What was she doing home at this time? Something was going on. Lucas sensed he wasn’t going to like it.

He entered the living room to find his roommates and le gang sitting around seriously. The nerves rose. _Oh God. _

“Nothing bad happened,” Yann said. He’d been getting good at reading his mind.

“But this is a serious matter,” Manon added. Lucas saw where this was going and his nerves dissipated. 

“Kitten,” Mika began in a heartfelt voice, “You are spending far too much time in that game and it’s not good for you.”

“We’re worried about you, man,” Basile said. “You never even talk to us anymore.”

“You barely sleep,” Manon said.

“And I want my VR shit back,” Lisa finished. Mika gave her shoulder a small whack. “You said I could say what I want.”

“I thought you might say something nice!” All she gave him was a look and she had a point.

Lucas watched everyone’s solemn faces twitch as they all tried not to laugh. Basile was the first to crack, and everyone else followed soon after. Lucas joined in, doing only what little energy he had left allowed him.

“The point of this whole thing was, we think you should stop playing Knock-Out,” Arthur said while the rest regained their composure.

“Okay.”

The group halted.

“Okay?” Yann repeated. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Manon clapped her hands together and approached him. “That’s great!” She pulled him into a hug.

“Honestly, I thought there’d be more drama,” Mika said.

“At least a little pushback,” Basile agreed.

Lucas rolled his eyes as them. “I haven’t slept in thirty hours, give me a break.”

Manon pulled back from their hug. “Go to bed, now!” she insisted, pushing him down the hall. He was rather amused by this whole ordeal. Though, it was nice to know his friends had his back, even if they could be a tad dramatic.

“Nighty night, Lulu,” Arthur called after him. “When you wake up, the nasty game will be gone.” 

It didn’t matter. Lucas didn’t need it anymore.

*********

All it took for Lucas to get himself back on track was a week. One week of a full nights rest and he was his old, brilliant self again. The wonders a good night sleep would do. 

He paid for those guitar repairs, sorted things out with Clara and started responding to his friend’s texts again. Turns out, he didn’t get fired and his friends didn’t ditch him. The summer was almost over and everything was as it should be. 

Except for one little big thing.

Giving up the game itself was no problem. He genuinely didn’t miss playing. What he did miss was his srodulv. The sex was nice, yeah. Out of anything, he missed their late night talks the most.

Guilt consumed him every time Eliott came into view. He’d denied srodulv his gentle requests of a real friendship so many times out of fear of being left alone, and now it was his own fault that fear was being actualised. A pathetic self-fulfilling prophecy.

Lucas missed him. He longed for him. He wondered if Eliott logged on after their fight to look for him. If he had, what would he think when he couldn’t find him? Probably that he’d been dumped. Lucas didn’t want Eliott to think he didn’t care about him, that he’d forgotten him. How could he ever?

Days of catching glimpses of his sad face sent Lucas into a dozen shame spirals a day. He was usually bolder than this. Braver, better. What was stopping him now? He needed help.

On an ordinary Thursday afternoon, he gathered the gang at their usual table near Arthur’s coffee shop. They watched him expectantly while Lucas’ struggled to figure out what he was going to say. There were so many ways he could broach this. Could be he was just overcomplicating it for himself.

“Dude,” Basile said. “Did somebody die?”

“No,” Lucas laughed because he was an idiot, but he was their idiot.

“Why do you look so serious?”

Lucas sighed. Time to get it over with. “I never told you the reason I got so obsessed with Knock-Out,” he began. The guys perked up and leaned in. “And why I only played late at night and never joined your battles.” Arthur and Yann shared a look like they knew what was going on. “I… met someone.”

“You met someone on Knock-Out?” Basile asked.

“Yeah. I think I fell in love.” 

“Who are they?” Arthur asked, waggling his brows suggestively. The action dropped his glasses to the end of his nose until they hung off. He looked ridiculous.

Lucas refrained from telling him that and gave an answer instead, “His screen name was srodulv.” A look of recognition painted Yann’s face.

“Oh, man, I played with him a few times!” Basile said excitedly. “He’s really good. And really deep.”

Basile had no idea just how deep. 

“That’s Eliott’s screen name,” Yann said thoughtfully. He looked like he was figuring something out.

“I know.”

“You know?”

“I figured out it was him a week and a half ago.”

Yann tilted his head at him. “And he doesn’t know it’s you?” Lucas shook his head. “Why haven’t you told him yet?”

Lucas rubbed his eyes and groaned. “Ugh, I don’t know! Every time I see him now, I don’t know what to say so I don’t say anything.”

“Dude,” said Arthur. “That is so lame.”

“I know!”

“You’re usually so confident, though, I’ve _seen _you flirt.”

“And you could totally get him,” Basile said, drooling over his salami & three cheese sandwich. “Look at you. One in a million.”

That was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. Lucas smiled at the lovable bastard. With the way Basile was looking at his sandwich, Lucas wasn’t so sure which of them he was talking to. 

“Trust me, man, he’s into you,” Yann said.

Lucas’ heart fluttered irrationally in his chest. There was no use getting excited until something actually happened. Still, a little hope didn’t hurt. “Yeah?”

“I’ve spent more time with him than I did with my last two girlfriends combined, and he digs you.”

“You know what you should do,” Basile said with a mouthful of sandwich. “You should organise a situation where you’re like, forced together. Like in all those romcoms. And then everything will come out.”

“That’s… actually a really good idea,” Lucas said. Every now and then Basile would surprise them with a small but brilliant piece of wisdom that remined them they’d be lost without him. “How am I gonna do that?” 

Yann sat up tall and suddenly in his seat, like he did when he got a good idea. “Meet me at our closing time tomorrow,” he said.

“I don’t even have work tomorrow.”

“Looks like you’re coming in anyway.”

Lucas wasn’t sure he liked the mischievous look on Yann’s face.

*********

At 16:52 on a summer Friday, Lucas walked into the video game store with his heart in his throat. This could be the night that changed his life.

Yann’s head popped up from behind a stack of those big-headed collectable doll thingies Lucas wasn’t sure why people bought. His grin reached from ear to ear. The sight of it was almost enough to turn Lucas the other way. Eliott saw him before he could escape.

“Hey,” he greeted cheerfully.

“Hi.”

Behind Eliott, Yann pointed at him, exaggerating every movement and mouthing, ‘He’s so into you.’

Lucas had to hold back his smile, but was unable to stop the ‘what the fuck’ frown creasing his forehead. Eliott noticed and looked over his shoulder curiously. Yann immediately dropped his wild expression and placed his arms neatly in front of him. The instant Eliott turned back to Lucas, Yann resumed his ridiculous dance.

When Eliott wasn’t looking, Lucas flipped Yann off with great passion, mouthing ‘fuck. you.’ 

Yann gave him a wink. He clutched his gut and let out a fake groan. “Argh, man. I don’t feel so good.”

“Feeling sick?” Eliott asked, completely unaware of the treachery going on before his very eyes.

“Ohh yeah.”

“Do you need me to–”

Yann groaned even louder than before, wrapping his arms tight around his gut. He was surprisingly convincing. “I think I need to go home.” He looked between Lucas and Eliott. “Right now. Lucas can help you finish closing.” He dashed out the entrance before either boy could say a word. 

Eliott stared after him with wide eyes and slight frown. “Uh. You… don’t have to help me,” he said.

“It’s cool,” Lucas said like the sly cool cat he was. He was going to crush this. “I don’t mind helping.”

“You don’t even work here,” Eliott laughed.

Lucas shrugged and fetched the pole hook for the shutters. “I know my way around any store.”

“Is that right?”

“Uh huh. Oof!” Lucas pulled the furthest shutter onto his head. Hard. Clearly this was a task that forgave no distractions. 

“Whoa, are you okay?” Eliott laughed. Genuine worry was in his eyes, along with treacherous amusement.

Lucas rubbed his head with one hand and gave him a thumbs up with the other. That of course caused the shutter to slam right onto his head again.

“Ah,” Eliott said, approaching. He pulled Lucas away from the evil shutters and into the safety of his faint body heat. They weren’t quite close enough for physical contact yet. He rubbed Lucas’ head with concern. “Need ice?”

As if Lucas couldn’t handle one bump to the head. Eliott’s cold fingers soothed the piercing ache on the top of his head, reminding him it was _two_ blows. Lucas hated being coddled, but there was no way he was going to complain about Eliott’s fingers in his hair.

They worked together swiftly, getting the store closed only five minutes behind schedule. While they walked around the store, they chatted about mindless, unimportant things that were not going to be in any way life changing. And Lucas still hadn’t said a word about the two of them.

He knew he was desperately running out of time as they reached the bus stop together. The friendly chatter was nice, but it wasn’t going to give him his happy romcom ending. Lucas had to say something. _Now_.

“Are… you still into that spirit animal stuff?”

“Yeah,” Eliott smiled. Lucas’ heart pounded harder by the second. “I even thought of one for you.”

“A hedgehog.”

Eliott went still. Stared at him for several silent seconds. “Why do you say that?”

“They’re sweet but they’re prickly.” Lucas met his stare with equal intensity. “And they’re cute.” 

Eliott huffed a small, joyful laugh. “That’s what you think of _yourself_?”

“A friend told me.” Lucas took a single step forward.

So did Eliott. They stood close. “A good friend?”

“The best friend. Who I treated like crap.” 

They looked at each other, a thousand emotions reflected in Eliott’s eyes. “It’s you?”

Lucas released a relieved breath. “It’s me.” 

“Fuck,” Eliott breathed.

The rest of the world melted away while Lucas and Eliott gazed at each other. Lucas _loved _looking at him. His srodulv. His Eliott. His.

“I’ve got the first Nintendo edition of Knock-Out,” Eliott said. Lucas hoped this was going where he thought it might. “And I’ve got lots of beer. We could… order a couple pizzas. Have a quiet night in. Together.”

Lucas smiled and smiled and smiled. He didn’t need a mirror to know his eyes were shining at Eliott. He really was an open book. “Sounds great.”

They didn’t talk much on the short bus ride to Eliott’s apartment. Mainly because it was only two stops around the corner of the street. Eliott could easily walk home from work every day. He gave Lucas a warm smile when they stepped off together. They watched the bus drive away. “I wanted an excuse to talk to you.”

_Fuck_

Lucas didn’t know what to say. He had to say _something_, didn’t he? After a grand romantic declaration like that. All he could get out of himself was a quiet wheezing sound. 

“Come on,” Eliott led him inside his apartment building.

The elevator was packed. They were forced to face each other, so close they could feel the other’s breath. That elevator got way too hot way too quick. Lucas sucked in an appreciative gulp of air when they stepped out. The entire trip, they had been so close together, but never once touched. They were playing it cool.

Eliott’s apartment was cleaner than Lucas imagined it. His bookshelves were overflowing with various books, articles and trinkets. Easels were placed _everywhere_ around the small apartment. The walls were covered in drawings, paintings, artworks. The only free wall space he could see was in the kitchen. Cluttered exactly the way one imagined an artist’s home would be. But there was no mess on the floor, or on any of the counters. Not a trace of grime. This place was Eliott’s haven.

“Get comfortable,” Eliot told him.

Lucas did. His shoes came off and he sank into the lovely old couch that sat no more than a metre and a half from the tiny television. Lucas ordered pizzas while Eliott set up his Nintendo 64.

“I didn’t know people still had these things.”

“When you’re a game connoisseur, you’ve gotta have all the classics.” 

Lucas laughed at him. “Game connoisseur.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Yes.” 

When Eliott switched over channels, a much older version of Knock-Out was on the screen. Eliott handed Lucas the purple controller, while he kept the green. “You can do that, or you can watch me kick your ass.”

“In your dreams.”

The game looked just like the version Lucas played, only in low-res video game format. All the locations were the same. But best of all; all the characters were exactly the same. Which meant Lucas got to pick Trix to go up against Eliott’s Zed. It was kind of weird seeing them fight from an outsider’s point of view. In this, they were finally acknowledging that part of them was over.

Fighting still gave Lucas the urge to be truthful. There were many things left unsaid between them. “I’m sorry for all those times I turned you down,” he said.

“I get it. You weren’t sure if we could work as whatever we were in the real world.” He shrugged his little ‘Eliott shrug’. “I was scared too.”

“But you wanted to try and I shut you down. So. I’m sorry.”

“We’re here now,” Eliott said and yes, they were here now. So close. “There’s just one thing…”

“Anything.”

“After we had that… fight, you just vanished.” _Fuck_. Eliott _did_ try looking for him. “Why did you disappear?”

“My friends staged an intervention and took the game away for my own good.”

Eliott laughed. “We did go overboard with all those late nights in a row.”

“It’s not like it wasn’t worth it.”

Using the unbeatable turbo kick, Trix knocked Zed out cold. **‘Game over’**, the screen said.

“Ha!”

“Beginner’s luck.” 

“Don’t lie to yourself, I am invincible.”

“All thanks to my patience and guidance.”

They went quiet. Stared at each other while the apartment grew darker with the sky. Eliott traced over the top of Lucas’ fingers with his. _Finally, _some contact. It wasn’t enough.

“The pizza should be here in fifteen,” Lucas said. He bit his lip. “Do… you want to play another round?”

Eliott set his controller aside. He took Lucas’ out of his hands and did the same. “No.”

Lucas gulped. “What do you want to do now?” he murmured.

Eliott’s face inched closer so. fucking. slowly. Lucas couldn’t take it. He had to be close to him. He took Eliott’s face in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss. So similar to many of their kisses before and yet completely different.

Hands ran over shoulders that did belong to them. Fingers tangled in hair that was theirs. The sound Eliott made in the back of his throat was his. He pulled Lucas closer until he was lying on top of him on the little couch. Eliott had to bend his knees to fit all the way on. They laughed into each other’s mouths while they shuffled about on the couch.

Lucas eventually settled comfortably between Eliott’s legs. He was just as hard as he was. He wondered if he was as sensitive to touch now as he was as Zed. Lucas grinded into him as a test. Eliott broke their kiss to moan. Experiement successful.

“Fuck, Lucas.” Eliott pulled him closer between his legs. He gripped Lucas’ buttocks and moved with him Showed him ecstasy. Eliott made Lucas feel like God themself when they were together. They grinded and humped on that little old couch of Eliott’s like a pair of horny teenagers until they found their climax, seconds away from each other.

Lucas collapsed onto Eliott while he was still puffing. They panted in sync with each other. Cooled while the room grew darker and darker. The street lights from outside was their only source of light until one of them could be bothered to go turn on a light.

They didn’t last long. They needed each other too much.

There was a calm between them. If they ignored the sticky mess in both their briefs. Eliott stroked Lucas’ hair, hugging him close.

“Was it as good as in the game?” Lucas murmured, face pressed into Eliott’s chest.

“Way better,” Eliott sighed happily.

Lucas raised his head and rested his chin on his hands atop Eliott’s chest so they could look at each other. “Why?”

Eliott played with Lucas’ hair. “Because this is the real you. Your face.” He caressed his face gently, then ran a thumb along Lucas’ bottom lip. “Your lips.” He shifted underneath him, brushing their lower halves together again. Lucas’ breath hitched. “Your body.” 

“It had nothing to do with my brilliant personality?” he teased.

“I got to know you through Trix. Everything she said, that was you. That’s why we connect.” 

“Still better here in person, though, right?”

Eliott pressed a sweet kiss to Lucas’ nose, then both cheeks, then finally, his lips. Lucas accepted each kiss happily. He hoped for many, many more. 

“You and me.”

Lucas smiled. “You and me.”

**Author's Note:**

> No Homo
> 
> Can I just say it's fate that my first evak fic was a black mirror au and now my first elu fic is a black mirror au. Twas meant to be. That's why I felt it was mandatory to add the happy ending tag lol
> 
> Leave it to me to wait til the very last day of the challenge to post rip  
Anyhay, if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading and make sure you check out all the other great stories and artworks created for this fest. We've got so many talented people across the skam fandoms, I'm constantly blown away
> 
> Come say hi to me on tumblr at [thegirlnooneknows5](http://thegirlnooneknows5.tumblr.com/)  
My ask is always open and I am always lonely <3


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